Read: The Triathlete’s Guide to Massage

One of the sweetest parts of my job is researching recovery modalities, from napping to restorative yoga to massage. A current hypothesis is that it’s impossible to get too much massage; I’m deep in data collection.

You need a massage, too. Here’s a piece I wrote for Ironman.com on massage for triathletes, but massage is great for everyone. For more, read chapter 14 of The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery (now available in German, Spanish, Japanese, and English e-book editions).

You’ve got the date of your big race circled on your calendar and have planned a systematic approach to ensure you’re ready to perform at your best. But have you planned your rest and recovery, too?

As your training ramps up, don’t forget to take the time to lie still, out of the water, off the bike and away from data of any kind. As triathletes we spend a lot of time in front of our screens and considering numbers. To balance this activity, you need a quiet period to tune in to your body’s wisdom. And, with that wisdom comes self-knowledge, which is critical in endurance racing and in life.

Massage fits the bill nicely. For Type A athletes who find meditation, breath exercise, or aimless loafing difficult, massage is a good way to find deep relaxation while also smoothing out your muscles, fascia and psyche.